If you were to return to an Undergraduate Social Work degree starting from the first year we would take into account your previous study which would affect your entitlement. When calculating future funding we look at the length of your new course so for example three years, then we would add on an additional year and then deduct the two years previous study - (3 + 1 - 2 = 2 years full entitlement).

This would be applied from the end of the course going towards the start so you could apply for full funding for the second and third year. The means for your first year you would have to pay your own fees and would only be able to get means-tested Maintenance Loan (ML) and Supplementary Grants (if applicable) such as Parents' Learning Allowances, Childcare Grant, Adult Dependants' Grant and Disabled Students' Allowances.

We can review this if there have been any mitigating circumstances that caused you to have to repeat any year of your previous course. If you had any health or personal issues you could apply for Compelling Personal Reasons (CPR) and send in any relevant evidence for us to consider.

Evidence can include the following:

Medical evidence from a GP

Letter from university on headed paper

Letter from Social Services on headed paper

Letter from clergy or professional person on headed paper

Death Certificate and/or

A Birth Certificate

We look for any letters to be signed and dated and to confirm the reason why you couldn't continue/progress with your studies and dates of when this has taken place. If accepted you would get your fees paid.

Thank you for your reply.
I was told that because I studied an NHS funded course I would be able to have the 3 years fully funded by student finance England if I was to do another course. The information that I have been told previously is wrong then?

(Original post by CharleyHammer)
Hello,
I started an adult nursing course in September 2015, I stepped off in April 2016 and returned in March 2017. I have now withdrawn from the course. I was receiving the maintenance loan.

I am interested in applying for social work and I was wondering if I would be eligible to receive tuition fees if I was to be accepted into university again?

Thank you,
Charley

Hi Charley,

The funding you can receive as a Social Work student will depend both on where you have chosen to study and the Awards Authority that provides the funding.

For Students Domiciled in England, studying in England that is
Full student support paid through SFE.plus

Non Means Tested Bursary paid through General Social Care Council.

We would use your previous study to calculate your future entitlement to funding.

That means we look at the length of your new course and add one year of additional support ( sometimes referred to as a gift year ), we then deduct the number of years of previous study.

That leaves us with the number of years available support for your new course.

If you have had only one year of previous support, then you can be confident that you will receive full support for the length of your new course.

From what you have said it looks like you have had two years previous study.

That would mean that for the first year of the new course, you would be entitled to a meanstested maintenance loan only, no tuition fee support.
The remainder of the course would be fully funded, unless you had to repeat another year in the future.

If you had to suspend/withdraw from your previous course, due to mitigating circumstances, you may want us to consider your extenuating circumstances when making this calculation, also known as your Compelling Personal Reasons (CPR).

When you apply for your new course we would advise that you send a letter detailing your CPR along with any evidence of your mitigating circumstances.

This would be reviewed by an assessor on a case by case basis, if accepted then an additional year of support would be awarded and that would mean you would receive full support including the tuition fee, for the length of the new course.